About the Crew Connectivity Survey

In 2012 Futurenautics Maritime published a white paper containing the results of the first ever Crew Communications Survey, offering insight and hard data into the provision, cost, usage and future usage of communications, both at sea and in port, by the world’s seafarers.

The response from the industry to this free analysis and dataset was overwhelmingly positive, prompting the survey to grow both in size and scope in 2014. By 2015 the re-named Crew Connectivity Survey became the largest and most comprehensive crew survey in the world and an industry standard. With over 3,000 respondents from more than 30 countries the data was used by seafarers and ship operators to benchmark the connectivity on board vessels, and by a huge range of maritime stakeholders to understand the increasing impact of connectivity not just on ship board life, but on operational efficiency, safety and productivity.

The 2015 Crew Connectivity report outlined the reality of connectivity for seafarers and how it differs across sectors, ages and seniority; gave reliable data against which ship operators could benchmark their provision following the introduction of the MLC; and explored what the seafarers and ship operations of tomorrow will consider essential that network, hardware, software, equipment and applications providers should be preparing to deliver.

But the 2015 survey also broke new ground by being the first to include question sets around cyber hygiene, security, training and experience of cyber incidents at sea. The resulting data was cited across the industry, considered the most detailed and robust available about the reality of the cyber security landscape at sea. As we prepare to publish the 2018 Crew Connectivity Survey Report, the 2015 survey has been downloaded in excess of 30,000 times, and that number continues to increase.

Recognising the significance to the industry of this kind of dataset Futurenautics has again worked with some of the largest shipping and maritime organisations, crewing agents, ship operators and charities to create what is unquestionably the largest and most in-depth survey of seafarers ever undertaken in the maritime industry.

The 2018 Crew Connectivity Survey has 6,000 serving seafarer respondents from more than 30 countries and its scope has again expanded. In 2018 the survey includes even more in-depth data around cyber security and resilience together with a new question set asking seafarers about their views of the new technologies being adopted by shipping, their perception of positive or negative effects of those technologies, the real impact of automation on individual’s jobs and roles, and the extent to which seafarers believe their training is preparing them for different roles in the future.

Futurenautics has always believed in the importance of making this dataset and analysis available free of charge across the industry in order to drive better understanding and positive change, and thanks to the sponsorship and support of KVH and Intelsat is able to do so once again in 2018.

The 2018 Crew Connectivity Survey Report promises to be one of the most important maritime reports of the coming year.